JapanNewbie

Film Binge: Yukinojo Henge

Posted on 03. Sep, 2010 @ 7:59 pm by harvey in Culture, Media, Movies Views: 768

I recently got a copy of A Hundred Years of Japanese Film by Donald Richie, so I have been looking up the titles mentioned in the book and checking out my university library to see what I can get.

The library is awesome. They have so many of the films listed… I’m sure I’m going to be busy for a while watching Japanese flicks. Richie’s book is great because it mentions films that go back, well, 100 years, all the way up to modern movies including Nobody Knows, and even includes Animation such as Princess Mononoke.

The other night I saw Revenge of a Kabuki Actor, the Japanese title is「雪之丞変化」(yukinojyo henge).

I’ll admit, I need to watch this again. Maybe it’s cause it’s super hot these days, maybe it’s cause I was out all day playing tour guide with my parents, or maybe I can blame jetlag from just returning from China… but I fell asleep a few times while watching this movie. It’s shameful I know.

Yukinojyo Hengei

So, to get a good feel for the quality of this movie, please read the reviews of 雪之丞変化 on Amazon.com. They’re raving. I’ll be revisiting this movie again later.

I think next I’ll be checking out Avalon by Mamoru Oshii of Ghost in the Shell fame. Animation. Actoin. Sci-fi. This should be more suitable for my slightly tired mind at the moment.

The best thing about this Donald Riche book is that it has given me instant access to a quality list of Japanese movies, many of which I didn’t know existed. If you need some tips on how to break out of your usual anime, Miyazaki Hayao, and Kurosawa Akira media loop, be sure to check it out.

Happy viewing!

- Harvey